Crisp, lightly coated fish served with golden cassava, plantain chips, and fresh criolla salsa. Garlic, yellow chili, and mustard season without hiding the fish, while lime and onion cut through the fried richness. A coastal Peruvian favorite with distinctly northern character.
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Cut the white fish fillet into roughly 3 to 4-centimeter pieces and pat them lightly dry. Mix with the ground garlic, yellow chili paste, mustard, 30% of the lime juice, black pepper, and 55% of the salt. Chill for 10 minutes; the fish should pick up flavor without becoming waterlogged.
Peel the cassava, remove the woody center fiber if present, and cut it into thick batons. Place it in a pot with the water and 20% of the salt. Simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, until tender but not falling apart. Drain and let the steam escape for 3 minutes.
Thinly slice the red onion and finely chop the ají limo and cilantro. Toss them with the remaining lime juice and remaining salt. Let the criolla salsa stand for 5 minutes, just long enough to soften the onion's sharpness while keeping it fresh and crisp.
Beat the egg in one bowl. In another, combine the flour and potato starch. Dip the fish pieces in the egg, then coat them in the dry mixture, pressing lightly to cover. Shake off the excess well; the coating should look thin and dry, not thick or pasty.
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep skillet to about 175°C. Fry the cassava in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden and crisp outside. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Keep the oil hot for the fish.
Bring the oil back to 175 to 180°C if needed and fry the fish in small batches for 2 to 3 minutes, without crowding the pan. Remove when the coating is golden and crisp and the center is opaque yet juicy; if checking with a thermometer, aim for at least 63°C in the thickest part. Drain on paper towels.
Serve the fish chicharrón immediately with the golden cassava. Spoon the criolla salsa over the top or alongside it and add the plantain chips just before serving so they remain dry and crisp.
